THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday announced that the hike in the social pension of indigent senior citizens to P1,000 from the current P500 will be implemented starting this month.
DSWD Undersecretary Eduardo Punay, during the “Bagong Pilipinas” program in state network PTV4, said more than four million senior citizens are expected to benefit from the social pension program.
“Good news po dahil this year, mai-implement na po natin iyong dagdag na grant or benepisyo sa ating mga senior citizens or social pension beneficiaries. More than four million iyan, nationwide na mga beneficiaries natin. Mula P500 po nitong nakaraang mga taon, na-doble na po iyan — magiging 1,000 per month na po ang ating socpen grant starting this year (This is good news because we will already implement the additional grant or benefit for senior citizens or social pension beneficiaries. That’s more than four million beneficiaries nationwide. From P500 in the past year, the socpen grant will be P1,000 per month starting this year),” he said.
Republic Act (RA) 11916, or the Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens which lapsed into law in July 2022, provides for the 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of indigent senior citizens from P500 to P1,000.
Punay said the fund for the social pension had been increased to P50 million in 2024, from P25 million in 20223, to accommodate the rate hike.
He said the fund, however, is not enough to accommodate all senior citizens which, based on the record of the National Commission for Senior Citizens, has reached more than 12 million.
He said many elders are applying to be included in the social pension which they cannot accommodate because the allowance is limited to the indigent, especially those who do not receive any pension through the Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) or the Social Security System (SSS), among others.
“Ang requirement naman dito sa social pension fund po, paliwanagin natin, kailangan po indigent ‘no, iyong mga indigent na mga senior citizens lang po ang mabibigyan nitong social pension fund po (The requirement in the social pension fund, let us make it clear, is that the elderly beneficiary should be an indigent. Only indigent senior citizens will be given the social pension fund),” he said.
DSWD had previously said eligible senior citizens should also fall within the following criteria to receive social pension: frail, sickly or with a disability; without pension from SSS, GSIS or from any sources of pension in government and private agencies; and without any permanent source of income, compensation, or financial assistance from relatives to support their basic needs.
The social pension program aims to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.
DSWD previously said that there are 4.1 million indigent seniors enrolled in the social pension program of the department, while at least 466,000 indigent senior citizens are on the waitlist.
Meanwhile, Punay also said the DSWD will kick off this month the pilot implementation of the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP),” in San Mariano in Isabela province
In a statement, Punay said the DSWD Field Office 2 in Cagayan Valley and local government unit (LGU) of San Mariano, led by Mayor Edgar Go, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last January 15 to kick off the implementation of the FSP in the municipality.
“The Food Stamp Program does not only aim to address the issue of the lack of food and resources, but also the issue of malnutrition because DSWD aims to help the Filipinos, from womb to tomb. That’s why our agency hopes for the successful collaboration with LGU San Mariano in order to accomplish this responsibility,” Punay said.
San Mariano in Isabela, being a Geographically Isolated Area (GIDA), was identified as one of the pilot areas of the FSP implementation with its constituents having the need for food assistance.
The FSP is a flagship program of the Marcos administration which aims to combat involuntary hunger among poor households by providing food credits worth P3000 in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can be used by beneficiaries to purchase nutritious food items.
Other FSP pilot areas are Tondo, Manila in the National Capital Region, Siargao Island, Garchitorena in Camarines Sur, and Parang in Maguindanao.